———————————————
SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is largely based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it's inevitably a spoiler.
———————————————
previous day
4-201-11-17 03:32
Greathall, Skaal, Solstheim, Morrowind
I leave all my unnecessary baggage with my followers. After an especially strong hug with Lydia, I step a little aside from the people and read the Black Book "Waking Dreams" that is supposed to take me on the ultimate unearthly journey against Bastaard.
I find myself in another one of those realms with gray-green structures in the midst of dark-green water and light-green sky. I must say I'm not all that repulsed by it any longer. Not that I would spend any more time here than is absolutely necessary, but I've learned that those horrible black tentacles rising up from the water are not hard to avoid and the rest is quite manageable too.
This realm consists of half a dozen levels – or "chapters" as they're called, because all of this is a manifestation of a book in a certain sense. From time to time, I find open books on pedestals, the lecture of which teleports me to the next "chapter", that is a floor which I have to travel through and find my way to a book that brings me to the next "chapter".
There are all kinds of other books lying about here and there, some of which I have already seen and some of which are new to me. Among them is a spellbook "Waterbreathing". After I've learned that spell, I won't need Waterbreathing potions anymore – I'll be able to use the spell and swim underwater for 20 minutes or so. Even though I know there exist armor pieces with a Waterbreathing enchantment and I might be lucky enough to find one someday, I'm still happy to have this spell.
Forgot myself prattling again... Sorry, I guess I'm nervous. I don't know what might be expecting me here and I'll have to make do without the support of my followers, and I mustn't disappoint them by getting killed here. Um... I mean, naturally I want to stay alive for my own sake as well. What I actually meant to say was that even the structures of this realm consist largely of piles of books. And just like in the last Apocrypha realm, there are loose sheets of paper floating around in many places.
The navigation here is just about challenging enough. You have to pay attention all right, but it never gets frustratingly confusing. There are only two difficult places. One is where big doors open and close and corridors change place, apparently periodically without any possibility for me to influence it, so I just run around a bit and return a little later when the corridors I need have become accessible. Another place where I get a little stuck is where I fail to find a path forward until I notice a closed gate and realize there must be a switch somewhere I've overlooked, and after some searching I find the switch and the gate opens and I can move on.
The enemies are only the familiar Lurkers and Seekers. Here are two good pictures I succeeded in taking of Seekers:
Please note that the red glow is a magical marker automatically applied to every creature currently in combat against me.
Actually, Seekers are greenish-gray like almost everything in this realm.
Actually, Seekers are greenish-gray like almost everything in this realm.
Many Seekers appear quite unexpectedly as if out of thin air. However, in one of the later "chapters", I manage to drop two with my arrows before they even see me. One of them falls down into the so-called water. That's really amusing. Too bad I failed to take a picture for you.
I'm somewhat dismayed, though, to notice I have not one Archery or Light Armor or Sneaking potion left. I don't even have any proper poisons. So I have to make do with my natural skills. But the enemies don't appear too frequently and even though I get injured quite seriously, there are enough places safely away from those water tentacles where I can heal myself with the spell. I don't use healing potions, because I can't know how many I'll need later against Bastaard himself.
Eventually I find myself in a large hall with four pedestals onto which I have to place four books. I have to ask Bardslayer for guidance as to which books. Fortunately, I have all four. My habit of picking up everything I can really pays off here.
Now I get access to the book to Chapter VI. It seems to be the last level. In the beginning of it is a gate, behind which is a wide open space. Still the same poison-green sky, though.
I believe to see a creature in front of a structure at some distance:
Is that a Seeker? I take a shot at it. Yes, it was. I sneak closer and reach the edge of a murky green sea full of weird statues and arches and such. I see a word wall with a Seeker next to it. Strangely enough, the Seeker is not seeing me. I kill it. Then I approach the word wall and get a dragon shout which doesn't look like anything useful. A dragon approaches. My intuition tells me I have to use the Bend Will shout on him to tame him. I do that, but the shouts always have a delay of a second or so, and during that second, the dragon almost manages to roast me to death. Then, however, he greets me as his master, and offers to carry me. I'm going to have to ride on him, because there's no way to proceed on foot. His name, by the way, is Sahrotaar.
After I've healed myself, I cautiously mount the beast. Just a few minutes ago, I noticed I was really filthy, but of course I can't wash myself in that liquid substance they have here in the place of water.
If the dragon is disturbed by my smell, he isn't showing it. He takes off and flies away across that horrible dark green sea towards an incredibly high tower in the distance. I can't say it's a pleasant experience, especially when we encounter a group of enemies on top of a structure. Sahrotaar flies back and forth, attacking the enemies with Frost Breath whenever passing over them. Like this:
If you look closely, you can see the little me just behind the dragon's head.
The red bar, by the way, shows the dragon's health this time, not mine.
The red bar, by the way, shows the dragon's health this time, not mine.
This dragon is clearly not used to carrying passengers, meaning he spends no thought on their comfort. Not only must I use all my strength to hold on to him, several times he actually dips me in that disgusting "water" when turning around. I can't understand why he has to make his maneuvers so elaborate, and I can't ask him, and I can't help him with his attacks because, as I said, I have both hands full making sure I won't fall off, and I can't even order the dragon to leave those pointless clowns and move on. I mean, what's the point in fighting them when they can't fly after us? But the dragon just feels he has to keep attacking. All I can do is watch his health decrease and hope the enemies will die faster. That, and holding back my nausea. If I started to vomit now, I would lose it for good.
It seems to take an eternity, but it's in fact less than two hours. The longest two hours of my life. Finally we reach that highest tower which, as I guessed, is where I'm to meet Bastaard – for the last time, I hope.
I can't say how relieved I am when I can finally climb off the dragon.
Bastaard is there – without whipping tentacle monsters this time, as I'm grateful to note. He approaches me and starts yet another sneering lecture about how he's so great and how I have no idea what I'm up against and what he's going to do after he has defeated me.
I suddenly think to myself: wait, Laura, what are you doing listening to that old goatbuffalo? Get your bow out and start killing him!
Our battle is complicated by three things.
Firstly, Bastaard moves with extreme speed. He must be using that dragon shout which I also have, but it makes no sense for me to use it. I'm here to chase him and kill him, not to evade him. The shout is for the prey, not for the hunter.
Secondly, whenever Bastaard is really low on health, he keeps getting healed. Of course I can do the same, and in fact I have to heal myself over and over again. This was only to be expected.
Thirdly – and that is really embarrassing – I run out of arrows!! So I have to actually run after quickly-disappearing Bastaard and hit him with my Blade of Woe which, unfortunately, isn't as powerful as my bow Zephyr . But there's nothing I can do about it. I hope I'll plan for this mission more carefully in my next life. If it ever happens. I'm having my hands full dealing with this life. And I guess I ought to stop thinking all that nonsense and focus on staying alive here and now.
Fortunately, I have plenty of health potions, the strongest ones.
After several near-deaths of his, Bastaard uses Bend Will on Sahrotaar and sends him against me. I use my Frost Breath shout on the dragon. Even though I have only one word out of three, the dragon becomes a lump of ice and drops dead instantly. That was awesome! I succeed in using the shout against Bastaard a couple of times as well, but he's made of stronger stuff. Now, in case you didn't know – those dragon shouts have a cooldown period. It means that whenever you do a shout, you must wait a certain time before you can do another. So I have to make do with my enchanted dagger most of the time. What about my Dragonborn Frost power I got from the previous Black Book, you may ask. The truth is, I've completely forgotten about it, as I'm going to realize much later. The same goes for the Marked for Death dragonshout. When the overwhelming majority of dragonshouts are useless, it's easy to forget that some of them aren't. And besides, I'm simply not used to this kind of weird and desperate fighting!
The battle drags on. I'm in no real danger, but I don't seem to be able to mortally wound Bastaard either. I hope he runs out of health potions before I do, or whatever it is he's using. But then Hora deigns to appear all of a sudden and has Bastaard impaled on a big tentacle rising up from the little pond they have here.
It's most welcome help and a suitable death for that pompous creep. Hora warns me not to try to rebel against Him like Bastaard did. Then He disappears. He seems to like me, but I rather wish He'd forget about me soon.
A Black Book has materialized on a platform. Reading it takes me back to Skaal looking right into the eyes of Lydia – and being intensely watched by the old man Tharstan who, by his own words, is a historian. He's the only resident of the village who is not a local. He came here to study the Skaal customs, as well as old ruins elsewhere in Solstheim.
Now Frea approaches me and tells me she feels the last Stone is free and, as she puts it, the Oneness of the land is restored. She asks if Miraak is destroyed and I assure her he is. She tells me whatever my reasons may have been, I've done the Skaal people a great service which will not be forgotten. Then she gives me a friendly advice not to get too closely engaged with Herma-Mora. Well, she can rest assured I won't.
Frea returns to her shaman business and I rush to the nearby ocean shore to wash all that filth off me. It's already dark and the ocean is restless, to say nothing of cold. But I manage.
And I'm going to be warm real soon. The last time I was here, I took a liking in Fanari. After what I've just accomplished, she's naturally willing to do anything for me – as is, needless to say, everyone in the village, but intensely gentle closeness is what I need right now. That would mean no man. Not tonight.
That inquisitive Tharstan follows me into the Greathall, Fanari's residence, but I ask him to go outside. I don't care if he realizes what I'm up to with Fanari. I'm going to enjoy a passionate embrace with that fascinating woman before having some well-earned sleep.
We spend several hours, most of it just cuddling and sharing stories, she about the worldview of her people and me about the big wide world outside Solstheim. I learn interesting new insights tonight and so, I hope, does she. And her soft warm body is most enjoyable, too. All in all, it was exactly what I needed after my last days' so-called adventures.
next awakening
